deiscoll



(No Model.)

H. K. WHITNER.

RAILWAY BRAKE. No. 340,531. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM K. \VHITNEB, OF NEYV YORK,N. Y.

RAI LWAY-BRAKE.

EPZBCIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3&0531, dated April 20, 1886.

Application filed September 29, 1885. Serial No. 178,582. (No model.)

To aZZ 1072,0171 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HIRAM K. WHITNER, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway-Brakes, of'which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to air and vacuum brakes.

I will describe in detail a system of railwaybrakes embodying my improvement, and then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a railway-car and a portion of an engine embodying myimprovement, a portion of each being broken away to save space. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of a portion of a car embodying part of my improvement, and Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates the bottom of a car.

B designates the main air-pipe leading from the main compressed-air reservoir. (Notshown.

in the drawings.)

G designates a portion of the engine.

a designates a cock, which may be of any approved construction. A steam-siphon, b, is connected by apipe, b, to the cook a. Steam may be injected into the siphon b by an injector, D which may be of any desired construction, and operated in the usual or any other approved manner. A pipe, 1), leads from the compressed-air cylinder to the cook a. When the plug of the cock is turned in such manner as to establish communication between the compressed-air reservoir and the main air-pipe, the latter may be charged. The siphon and the open air-pipe are then in communication. When the plug of the cock is so turned as to bring the main air-pipe and the siphon into communication, the siphon will operate to create a vacuum in the main airpipe. The main air-pipe, as usual, extends throughout the length of the train, and connections may be made in the pipe between the cars of the train in the usual manner.

D designates the auxiliary reservoir, connected to the main air-pipe by a pipe, 0. A" triple valve, 0, as is usual, is arranged in said pipe. A pipe, d, leads from said valve to a brake-cylinder, E, of ordinary construction. Levers d (P, connected at one of their ends to the rods of the piston within the cylinder E, connect at their other ends with brake-rods, by which, when compressed air is admitted to the cylinder E, the brakes are applied in the usualmanner.

Referring to my improvement as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, F designates a pipe or tube composed of any frangible materialsuch, for instance, as glass, pottery, or the like. It is air-tight. As here shown, it is arranged upon the truckframe, to which it may be secured in any convenient manner. Loops in the said pipe extend about the car-wheels.

A pipe, G, which may be secured in any suitable manner to the bottom of a car, extends lengthwise thereof and between the trucks. Each end of the pipe G is connected by means of a flexible connection, preferably rubber'hose, with the frangible pipe F, arranged upon the adjacent truck. By this means communication is established between the pipes F upon both trucks. A pipe, H,

connects the pipe G with the main air-pipe B.

A check-valve, e, arranged in the pipe H, admits of a ready flow of air from the main airpipe into the pipes F, but operates to prevent a reflow of such air when pressure is reduced in the main air-pipe. It will readily be seen that should fracture occur in the frangible pipe a vent will be opened to the main airpipe, and the brakes consequently applied, the checkyalve 6 being adapted to open auto matically to admit of this.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a secondary reservoir of compressed air, which may be rendered effective in case of failure on the part of the usual auxiliary reservoir to properly fulfill its functions, or in case an excess of power in applying the brakes is required over that furnished by the brakecylinder operating in conjunction with such auxiliary reservoir. In the example of my improvement shown the frangible pipes F constitute such secondary reservoirs.

It will be understood that the brakes in the ordinary running of the train are applied, in theusual manner, by meansofcreating a vent in the main air-pipe, which operates to open communication between the auxiliary reservoir and the piston whereby the. brakes are operated. This is accomplished without necessarily creatinga vacuum in the main air-pipe. In order, however, to apply the power reserved in the secondary reservoir, I adopt the method of creating a partial vacuum in the main airpipe, accomplished by the siphon b. The vacuum thus created operates in the example of my improvement shown to apply the power of the compressed air in the secondary reservoir of frangible pipes by the following meclr I is a diaphragm located at one end of a hollow cylinder, j, in communication with the pipe H at a point between the valve 0 and the main airpipe. A spring, 9, arranged in the cylinder f, operates to force the diaphragm I outwardly. This spring abuts at one end against a pad of wood, arranged upon the inner side of the diaphragm I, and at the other end against one end of the cylinderf. The resistance of this spring is such as to prevent the diaphragm I from being drawn inwardly when a vent is created in the main air-pipe for applying the brakes in the usual way. A rod, is secured to the diaphragm I at about the middle thereof, and extends outwardly therefrom. Another pad, 9 is arranged upon said rod upon the outer side and adjacent to the diaphragm I. The other end of the rod is connected to one end of an arm, 9', afiixed to a plug-valve, h, having a single port. A pipe, it, leads from the plug-valve h to a cylinder, J, provided with a piston, j. A-piston-rod, j,extends from said piston outwardly, and is connected to the piston-rod of a piston within the cylinder E by means of a flexible connection, As here shown, said connection consists of a chain. A pipe, g leads from the pipe H to the plugvalve h.

\Vhen it is desired to utilize the power stored in the secondary'reservoir of frangible pipes, a vacuum is created, as before stated, in the main air pipe. This Vacuum then operates to draw inward the diaphragm I, which, by means of its connections,operates to shift the plugvalve 71, so as to open a communication between the pipe H and the cylinder J. The power of the compressed air in the pipes F is thereby brought to bear upon the pistonj in the cylinder J, which, by its connections, will exert'pressure upon the brakes. Of course the power may be applied to a difierent set of brakes than those operated from the auxiliary reservoir D, if desirable.

The power in the secondary reservoir may be employed to recharge the auxiliary reservoir 1), if desired, This may be accomplished by means of a suitable pipe-connection, Q, between the plug-valve h and said reservoir; or the pipe Q, may be connected directly with the brake-cylinder 1 1, if desired, so that the force of the compressed air in the secondary reservoir may be applied directly to the brake cylinder. The secondary piston and cylinder may in such case be omitted.

Instead of using the system of frangible pipes as secondary reservoirs, I may use secondary reservoirs of the usual or any desired construction; or I may use both.

In addition to the two modes of applying the brake described, I may employ an ordinary vacuum brakecylinder on each car to operate a set of brakes, which brakes will be rendered operative through an increased vacuum, and consequent increased atmospheric pressure, over that which is required to oper ate the mechanism for venting the secondary reservoir described.

It will be seen that by my improvement I can, in the ordinary running of the train, apply my air-brakes in the usual way without bringing into use the secondary reservoir. It will also be seen that I can, by the use of the secondary reservoir, double the power on the brakes at will, this being accomplished by the use of one main or principal airpipe.

By my improvement I am enabled to use a much weaker force in the ordinary working of the train, be it long or short, since I have a reserve force at command in case of emergency or miscalculation.

The use of a weak force in the ordinary working of the train is advantageous, because thereby much of the wear and tear incident to the application of heavy pressure as now employed is avoided.

The efficiency of the brake system is not impaired by the use of my secondary reservoir, because there are no additional openings in the main air-pipe.

I do not in this application lay claim to dividing the brake system'upon long trains into sections which may be operated consecutively, and of a coupling valve-chest between such sections, as I intend to make these the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a brake system, the combination, with an auxiliary compressed-air reservoir, of brakes rendered operative by the compressed air in said reservoir when a vent is created in the main air-pipe, andasecondary compressed-air reservoir vented to apply power to the brakes when a vacuum is created in said main air-pipe, substantially as specified.

2, In a brake system, the combination, with an auxiliary compressed air reservoir, of brakes rendered operative by the compressed air in said reservoir when a vent is created in the main air-pipe, a secondary compressed-air reservoir, a connection between said secondary reservoir and the main airpipe, a valve operating to prevent a refiow of air from the secondary reservoir to the main air-pipe, and mechanism, substantially such as described, whereby, when a sisting of frangible pipes ,disposed abouta, vacuum is created in the main air pipe, the cartruck or its appurtenances, substantially 1o compressed air in the secondary reservoir will as specified.

be caused to exert force to apply the brakes 7 T 5 substantially as specified. 7 HIRAM HITLER' 3. In abrake system, the combination, itnesses: with an auxiliary compressed-air reservoir, DANIEL H. DRIscoLL,

of a secondary compressed-air reservoir con- J AMES D. GRISWOLJ). 

